


Charmed

by FFlove190



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Teenagers, UA
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-26 23:55:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17151410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FFlove190/pseuds/FFlove190
Summary: Happy Christmas, voidpage!I know you didn't get to participate in the exchange this year (on my error), so please enjoy this gift instead!Beta'd by:tyrannosaurus_rose





	Charmed

**Author's Note:**

  * For [voidpage](https://archiveofourown.org/users/voidpage/gifts).



> Happy Christmas, voidpage! 
> 
> I know you didn't get to participate in the exchange this year (on my error), so please enjoy this gift instead! 
> 
> Beta'd by: [tyrannosaurus_rose](http://archiveofourown.org/users/tyrannosaurus_rose/pseuds/tyrannosaurus_rose)

Aer looked beautiful today. She looked beautiful every day but today she looked even  _ more _ beautiful. Maybe it was something about the fact that today was Aer’s birthday? Perhaps that was where the extra radiance was coming from.

 

Tifa had been especially tongue tied. 

 

“Happy seventeenth birthday. H-here.” Tifa handed Aer the box. It was small, tiny even. If Tifa had enough extra income she would have showered Aer in gifts. But, well, budgets existed for a reason.

 

“Oh! You shouldn’t have.” Aer took it and smiled. Was it Tifa’s imagination or were Aer’s cheeks particularly rosy and her hair extra bouncy? Wow. 

 

The wrapping paper was a nice foil one: extra shiny. And, of course, it was wrapped in ribbons. Tifa knew that Aer loved shiny things - a magpie in person form - even if half of the time all of her shiny things ended up buried in the dirt or stowed away in a box. 

 

“But I wanted to.” Tifa said with a smile, as she watched Aer examine the wrapping. Tifa was so excited to see what Aer would think of it. 

 

“It’s so pretty.” Aer turned the box over, watching it. “I don’t think I can open it!” 

 

“Of course you can.” Tifa was lost in Aer’s cute little smile. “Well, why don’t you guess what it is first?” 

 

“Hmm…” Aer giggled a bit. “Until I’m so wrought with anticipation that I  _ have _ to open it?” Aer smacked at Tifa’s arm. “You’re so bad.” 

 

Tifa just laughed a little. She could tell Aer was embarrassed. It took a lot to embarrass this girl, too. Honestly Tifa just wanted Aer to open the thing - if she looked this cute simply getting a package, imagine how she would look when she saw what was inside. Would she laugh? Would she have open-mouthed shock? Would she punch Tifa? 

 

Tifa wanted to know. 

 

“Okay.” Aer re-settled on the cushion, snuggled against Tifa, and examined the box again. She didn’t shake it or do anything else remotely violent; Aer just turned it from side to side. Aer’s eyes glinted. “According to my calculations… it’s something small and light.” 

 

Tifa found herself biting her lips in anticipation. 

 

“You’re not mean enough to give me an empty box,” Aer waggled her brow with the words. 

 

“Never.” Tifa said adamantly. It made Aer laugh. 

 

“Okay. I think… it's a keychain.”

 

“A keychain?” Tifa couldn't contain her disdain. Like it was all Aer was worth: a simple keychain. Tifa had put way more thought into the gift than that. 

 

“What a strong reaction.” Aer giggled. “So it's not a keychain then.”

 

“Hmmmm…” The look in Aer’s eyes was calculating; it made Tifa’s stomach flip. Aer leaned the box one way and another, tilting her head like she was listening. “I know. Seeds!” 

 

Tifa felt the pit of her stomach drop for a split second as she realized that seeds would have been an infinitely better gift than the one she had actually gotten. But she swallowed the feeling. 

 

“You’ll have to open it and see.” 

 

Aer twirled the ribbon with her finger and huffed. “You’re so impatient sometimes.” 

 

Tifa couldn’t resist any longer. She leaned down just a bit and kissed Aer’s nose. Tifa loved the way Aer would scrunch it when she was thinking. 

“You’re distracting me!” Aer giggled and pushed at Tifa. 

 

“Sorry.” Tifa said as she snuggled into Aer’s braid. “You’re just too cute.”

 

“Oh  _ you _ .” Aer smiled that breathtaking smile of hers. It was so gosh darned cute. “Just for that one more guess.”

 

Aer loved guessing things. She loved making up stories or inventing reasons for the way things were. Half the time Tifa didn’t know what was truth and what was impulse for Aer. But Tifa loved it all the same. 

 

Tifa laughed and squeezed her girlfriend. “Another guess? How many do you have?”

 

“As many as I need.” Aer giggled. “So! Flowers!” 

 

“Mmm.” Tifa waved her hand so-so. 

 

“I’m close?” Aer’s smile was devious. 

 

Tifa had given Aer this present with the intent of seeing a smile split Aer’s face. This whole guessing game had just been an added bonus.

 

Aer just quirked a brow playfully and giggled. 

 

“Alright. You win.” 

 

Aer settled down and opened the package open. First went the ribbon - a gentle pull and delicately put aside. And then the edges of the wrapping paper were popped open. All clea, not a rip or a tear to be heard.

 

It was mesmerizing to watch. Tifa had never seen anyone approach a gift with such care. Maybe Aer saved gift wrapping to re-use it? Maybe she put it in a scrapbook? Maybe she just loved wrapping paper  _ that _ much? 

 

“What a pretty box, too.” Aer turned over the little thing in her hands. It hadn’t been expensive, it wasn’t the prettiest thing Tifa wanted - but it was a nice deep brown, functional and useful. Aer could put whatever she wanted in there. 

 

Aer was running her fingers over the sides. There were small engravings on it, not quite perfect but perfectly functional. 

 

Tifa nudged Aer. “It’s even better inside.” 

 

“Better than a box?” Aer looked up at Tifa through her lashes. “You can hide so many secrets in a box like this.” 

 

Tifa felt her face heat up. She was  _ happy _ that Aer loved the box, but she wanted to see Aer  _ open _ the box. 

 

Aer laughed and pushed at Tifa. “You’re too serious.” 

 

“Am not.” Tifa tickled at Aer’s neck and Aer swatted at her. 

 

“No more distractions allowed. I’m opening it.” 

 

“Yes, ma’am.” Tifa said cheekily. 

 

Aer popped open the box with a side-eye towards Tifa. Then she stilled. 

 

Tifa’s smile was so big her cheeks hurt. 

 

“Oh my word.  _ Tifa _ .” Aer looked sharply over at Tifa, shocked. “Tifa!”

 

Was it admonishment? Like it was too much? There was a hit of a smile, a glint of something in Aer’s eyes. But here she stood simply overwhelmed. Tifa felt a little giddy at the reaction.

 

“It’s beautiful!” Aer lifted out the bracelet. 

 

It wasn’t much. A simple charm bracelet, really. But, Tifa had spent a lot of work on it. She’d been collecting the charms from a gym in Sector 6: participating in everything from boxing to squatting matches. To be honest, it had taken quite a few months to get them all. 

 

Aer turned over the charms with a soft gasp. They were a series of little flowers - some of which Tifa could recognize and the rest she was sure Aer could. Small silver things (probably plated copper given where Tifa got it, but still attractive nonetheless), that caught the light and made Aer’s eyes sparkle. 

 

“I grow these ones.” Aer said with wonder as she pointed at a charm. “And I’ve seen these ones in magazines. Oh.” 

 

Tifa was filled with warmth as she watched Aer explore the charms, adding explanations for each one, naming them all. 

 

“One day, Aer,” Tifa said with a soft smile once Aer finished. “You’ll grow all of these flowers. Until there isn’t any room left in Midgar.” 

 

Aer giggled. “You think so?” 

 

“I know so.” Tifa squeezed Aer’s shoulders. 

 

Aer blushed a bit - looking unusually shy. “Put it on me?” 

 

Tifa lifted Aer’s hand and put the bracelet on. Tifa’s face felt flushed. When she glanced up into Aer’s face, she saw that Aer was just as red. There was something in the air, something magical between them. 

 

“Thank you, Tifa.” Aer said softly. “I love it.” 

 

_ I love you, too _ . Tifa bit back the words like she always did - she always got in trouble for feeling too strongly too quickly. It didn’t seem like the right time to say it. “I’m glad.” Tifa said instead. 

 

Aer put her hand over Tifa’s. 

 

“And I love you.” 

 

Tifa stammered. “I- uh - I love you, too.” The words spilled from her mouth in a rush. Tifa had been looking for a moment to say it, but it always felt wrong. Like her emotions were imposing on one thing or another.

 

Aer giggled behind her hand, the charm bracelet catching on the light. 

 

“You’re so silly.” 

 

Tifa laughed a little bit too: she felt giddy, and embarrassed, but ultimately  _ happy _ .

 

“Only as silly as you. Come here, birthday girl.” Tifa wrapped her arms around Aer and pulled her in for a kiss. 

 

It was a great kiss. And so were all the rest. 


End file.
